Truth or Lie?
by AmityDreams
Summary: For as long as he could remember, Danny was forbidden to explore the world outside of his supposed father's mansion in Wisconsin. With his fourteenth birthday coming up, he runs away from home and finds a best friend in Sam, a girl who lives in a far off place known as Amity Park. Little did Danny realize that he would soon discover his true origins there. AU (bad summary!) HIATUS!
1. Prologue

"It's a boy! It's a boy!"

The nurse who helped with the delivery picked up the crying baby to clean him up with a towel before wrapping him in a blue blanket and handing him over to his mother, who wore a weary smile on her face as she rocked the infant gently back and forth to calm him. Having just given birth to her second child moments earlier, the woman, along with her husband and their two-year-old daughter, took the time to look at the precious new life before them.

The baby boy had raven black hair, which went with his light skin perfectly. Then, his eyes fluttered open to reveal that they were a beautiful icy blue as he began to coo and smile at the sight of his family. His sister, Jazz (which was short for Jasmine), smiled back and whispered, "Hi, baby brother. I'm your big sister, and I'm going to take care of you with Mommy and Daddy from now on."

Her parents were delighted to hear these words coming from her; they somehow always had a strong feeling that their daughter would make the perfect older sister for their newborn son.

"Look, Jack," the mother breathed. "Isn't he wonderful?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, he is. Someday he'll get the attention of all the ladies when he grows up!" her husband replied jokingly, making her laugh. "Hey, Maddie? How about you name our son this time? I already had my turn with naming Jasmine."

"Let me see..." Maddie pondered. "I've been considering some names for the past few months, and I think I found the right one. Daniel. His name will be Daniel Fenton."

"Hmm. An interesting choice you have there. Though I prefer Danny for short!" Jack chimed in as he patted his son's head affectionately. "Danny-boy, welcome to the family!"

The infant, now named Danny, didn't lose his smile as his tiny hands reached out to his father.

Unbeknownst to the happy family, however, someone had been watching through the window unseen, having overheard everything. The figure clenched his fists in fury while hissing under his breath, "Oh, if only you were mine, Maddie. Your children would've belonged to me instead of that fat idiot's!" Realizing he nearly lost his temper, he took the time to calm himself before a sudden wicked smirk crossed his face.

"But perhaps this could work in my favor... I've been planning this for far too long now. They will never know what might hit them."

Deciding that he'll wait until the right time to execute his newly-formed scheme, the figure, who turned out to be a ghost, then flew away from the hospital.

* * *

Later that night in the household known as Fenton Works, Jazz was playing with Danny, and they bonded amazingly well, just as their parents had imagined. Jack and Maddie smiled brightly when their son giggled at the silly faces his sister was making for him.

"I can't believe we have a daughter and a son in our lives now," Jack spoke as he looked into his wife's eyes with his own.

"Me neither," Maddie murmured as she stared back. "There's nothing else in the whole world that I want more than to be with you, Jazz and Danny... I want us both to watch our children grow up."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Maddie. I love you as much as them."

"Oh, I love you too, Jack..."

The couple then kissed passionately on the lips. They eventually drew apart and noticed that their children had already fallen asleep, exhausted from playing for a long time. Sharing each other a knowing glance, both Jack and Maddie scooped up Jazz and Danny respectively to get them ready for bed.

Meanwhile, lurking outside of the Fenton residence was the same ghost who had been spying on the family hours earlier. He watched as the parents bid their young daughter goodnight, left her room and headed for the nursery, where his devious plan would soon take place.

Singing her infant son to sleep with a beautiful lullaby, Maddie placed him inside his crib and covered his small body with a warm blue blanket. She gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead and whispered, "Sweet dreams, my little Danny..."

Jack added, "We'll see you in the morning, Danny-boy. I know we'll have more fun together now that we have you in the family."

The mother and father left afterward as they closed the door behind them. Once Danny was alone, the ghost materialized into the room and grinned; shattering the parents' hearts was going to be easier than he thought. "With Daniel being only less than a day old, they'll surely be devastated when they discover that their son has 'mysteriously' disappeared without a trace!" the evil-doer said to himself quietly, so as not to wake anyone up.

He went over to the crib and peered down at the peacefully sleeping baby; then, in one cautious move, the ghost picked Danny up. Now came the best part: taking the child to a place where no one could ever dream of finding him.

That was when Danny unexpectedly began to cry while tossing and turning uncomfortably in the ghost's arms before the latter had a chance to phase himself and his tiny hostage out of the household.

The ghost cursed, Oh, butter biscuits! Something like this wasn't supposed to happen! With the sound of approaching footsteps suddenly reaching his ears, he quickly made his escape into the night with the infant in tow. "I may not have Maddie, but at least I have her son. The son that now belongs to me."

* * *

It didn't take the ghost long to return to his home, considering that it was quite far away from Fenton Works. He smiled wickedly in victory as he looked at the baby, now snoring slightly in his new crib. Months ago, when he had heard that Jack and Maddie were expecting another child and it turned out to be a boy, the ghost vowed to make the then-unborn baby his. During that time, he prepared everything in secret so that people would only come to know Danny as _his_ son and not Jack Fenton's. With his plan a success, he was sure that no one would figure out the mystery behind the disappearance. After all, what was there to worry over? There was little to no evidence.

"From this day on, Little Badger, you will be known as Daniel Masters," the ghost whispered to the baby. "Not Daniel Fenton."

No sooner had Danny vanished, did his parents contact the authorities, and requested that they send in a search party to look for their beloved son. For the next few years, the police scoured all over Amity Park, trying in vain to locate the missing child. Eventually, they had to put the case on hold, leaving Jack and Maddie devastated.

However, deep within their hearts, they prayed with all hope that someday, Danny will return to them.


	2. Chapter 1

_"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?"_

 _The little boy cried as he desperately searched for his mother to no avail. One minute he heard her voice, the next, she strangely fell silent. In spite that he didn't know what she looked like or how she knew where he was, his heart was telling him to go after and find her, even if it will take all his young life._

 _"Danny... come closer, sweetie... I'm over here!"_

 _The child named Danny perked up as the wet tears stopped falling from his eyes. It was his mother, and she was calling out to him! Without a second thought, he immediately ran in the direction where he believed his mother's voice was. But what he failed to realize was that it wasn't her, for someone else had disguised their voice to lure the young boy to them and take him away forever._

 _Danny didn't stop running until he finally reached a clearing with nothing more than blooming white daisies occupying the fresh grass. He looked around to see if he could spot his mother anywhere, but there was no sign of her. The area was quiet. Too quiet for his liking._

 _"Mommy, I don't see you! Where did you go?" the little boy yelled._

 _No response._

 _Suddenly, the rustling of trees sounded noisily above him. Spooked, Danny frantically turned his eyes over to where he heard the noise, but nothing was there. Fear instantly gripped his heart as he tried calling out in vain for his mother again. Then out of the blue, an unfamiliar voice answered back with a sinister chuckle, "I'm afraid your 'mommy' isn't here... it was I who called out to you."_

 _Danny gasped in surprise as he felt someone towering over him from behind. He turned and screamed at what he saw before him. Floating in front of the little boy was a man who didn't look quite human. The stranger had mint-blue skin, blood-red eyes, sharp fangs, and black hair styled in an upwards U-shape; his attire consisted of a white suit with black gloves, matching boots, and a flowing cape, giving him the terrifying appearance of a ghostly vampire._

 _"Who... who are you?" Danny managed to squeak out, backing away slightly as an uneasy feeling grew in his gut._

 _"Why, Little Badger, I'm afraid I cannot give away my identity. However, I will let you know that I'm simply a ghost," the stranger replied._

 _"Ghost? What's that?"_

 _"Oh, it's not easy to explain, Daniel. You will only understand when you are older."_

 _"Huh? H-how do you know my name?"_

 _"I know a lot of things about you... more than you possibly know. Now, if you wish to never be alone in this forest again, all you have to do is come with me, and you will be safe from harm. So what do you say, Little Badger? Do we have a deal?"_

 _Being a small child, Danny was about to agree to this offer, but his instincts were telling him otherwise. Even for a stranger, something didn't feel quite right about this ghost, as if he was hiding some dark purpose behind his friendly facade; yet at the same time, he seemed honest when he promised that he would help him escape from this gravely silent forest._

 _Regardless of any outcome, however, Danny was fighting an inner battle with himself over the matter. Should he let the stranger take him and leave this lonely place behind them? Or turn the offer down and try to refocus his attention back to the main task at hand, which was to find his mother by himself? He was leaning more towards the former option as if some unknown force was tempting him to go for it._

 _Yes, perhaps he should leave. Maybe the ghost might help him locate his missing mother._

 _"No! Don't listen to him, Danny! He's trying to trick you!" a tiny voice suddenly pleaded inside Danny's head. "Whatever you do, don't follow him!"_

 _A look of confusion (and fear?) immediately crossed his freckled face. Was the voice trying to warn him about something he didn't know?_

 _"I'm waiting for your answer, Daniel," the ghost spoke again. He had a calm composure, but there was a slight hint of impatience gleaming in his eyes._

 _"Run, Danny! Run! Just leave!" The voice was getting louder and desperate, trying to steer Danny away from possible danger. The child in question was in serious denial, trying to make up his mind on whether he should take the voice's advice to get away or ignore it and follow the ghost to supposed safety. Taking the time to choose, he looked over at the stranger before turning his head away to stare at the path that would provide him escape._

 _After a long moment of silence, he finally made his decision._

 _"No. I'm not coming," Danny murmured._

 _"Hmm? What was that, my boy?"_

 _"I said no, Mr. Ghost. I'm sorry, but I can't come with you."_

 _"Oh, but surely you want to-"_

 _"NO! Leave me alone! I want to be with Mommy now!"_

 _The ghost scowled and threatened with a snarl, "You're trying my patience, Little Badger. I will say this one more time: come with me quietly, and you won't be left alone to suffer here. Refuse my generous offer, and you will enter a world of absolute pain."_

 _At those words, Danny knew what he had to do. He quickly turned around and made a run for it, out of the clearing and further into the forest. As he was running, he heard what sounded like angry shouts and powerful blasts coming from behind him and immediately picked up the pace._

 _Unfortunately, he was so focused on escaping from his pursuer that he didn't see a tree root up ahead until it was too late. He tripped over it and fell on his chest. As he struggled to get back on his feet, he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his shirt and was hoisted up into the air. He then met face to face with none other than the ghost, who had a furious expression planted on his face._

 _"Let go of me, you big meanie!" Danny yelled angrily, attempting to free himself from his captor's grasp._

 _"Never, child. You defied me, and now you will pay."_

 _The ghost's free hand glowed pink as he mercilessly fired a ghost ray at the boy who made one final scream._

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Four-year-old Danny jolted awake, breathing heavily; he started crying with his face buried in his hands. The nightmare he had left him traumatized to no end. It felt so real it was as if it happened somehow.

That was when the door to his bedroom opened. Standing there was a man who immediately rushed to the little boy's side with genuine concern on his face and asked, "Why Daniel, whatever is the matter? Did something upset you, my boy?"

"I had a scary dream again, Daddy," Danny answered with a sniffle.

"What was it this time? Do tell me."

"I was looking for Mommy when this big, mean 'ghost' with red eyes came to me..."

The man's blue eyes widened in surprise. Usually, each time Danny had a nightmare, he would dream about either falling into a bottomless abyss, getting burned alive, or some other horrific death. Tonight, however, neither of those things came to be. Instead, it was something else that made the man feel slightly unnerved for unknown reasons. Nevertheless, he remained silent and allowed his son to continue talking until he reached the end of the story.

"...I fell to the ground, and he grabbed me. When I yelled at him to let me go, he..."

"He what? What happened?"

"H-he killed me..."

Silence filled the air as Danny began to cry again and went into his father's arms for solace. The man gently rubbed the boy's back with his right hand and whispered, "Shh... it's going to be alright, Little Badger. I won't let anyone bring harm to you. I promise."

"R-really promise?"

"Absolutely. Now, I believe you should be getting back to sleep?"

Danny nodded as he made himself comfortable in his bed, no longer sad and afraid. Before slowly drifting off into a peaceful slumber, he murmured, "Goodnight, Daddy..."

"Goodnight, my son... may you have pleasant dreams. I will see you in the morning," the man smiled as he stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him softly.

* * *

Several minutes had passed since Danny's ordeal, and the man was sitting on his couch downstairs watching the late-night news.

"...and now, for a quick news report coming from Amity Park. A few years ago, Daniel Fenton was less than a day old when he vanished from his parents' house that fateful night. Police searched throughout the entire city for the missing child, but after three years with no other leads and lack of evidence, they have placed the case on hold until further notice.

"However, in spite of these unfortunate circumstances, there have been recent theories regarding the baby's bizarre disappearance. Most claim that it was possibly someone who held resentment towards the Fentons, while a few others —Jack and Madeline Fenton in particular— believe it was a ghost, though the latter seems questionable as there is no proof to determine the existence of these spectral beings.

"If you have any information concerning the missing child, please contact the Amity Park Police Force as soon as possible."

The man smirked smugly and chuckled under his breath, "What a bunch of fools they are! They don't even have the slightest clue that both 'theories' are accurate! As long as I keep Daniel here with me, no one will ever remember him, let alone find a resemblance between him and his real parents!" He then turned off the TV and stood up to head back upstairs to turn himself in for the night.

"For he is only known as Vlad Masters' son... my son."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in a familiar house in Amity Park, a girl at the tender age of six sighed as she stared at the photo of her baby brother with sadness in her aqua eyes. It had been four years since Danny went missing, and Jazz was just as devastated as her parents. On the day that he was born, she couldn't have been far happier and grew excited at the idea of having a younger sibling to look after.

Unfortunately, fate had not been so kind to her and her parents that night. Danny was gone, and there had been no traces of someone breaking into their home uninvited.

Worse still, it didn't make their heartbreaking situation any better when they learned that the police had given up on locating him one year ago. Ever since then, Jazz would have recurring nightmares involving a sinister man whose face was hidden in the shadows snatching her brother away. No matter how many times she tried to protect Danny in those bad dreams, the outcome would remain the same: her failing miserably and the mysterious figure triumphing.

Jazz picked up the photo frame and spoke to it as if it were her little brother, "Our house feels lonely without you, Danny... please come back not only for me but for Mommy and Daddy too... they still miss you as much as I do."

Inside her mind, she knew with a feeling that, however long it might take, she will always be waiting for him to come back to Fenton Works where he truly belonged.


	3. Author's Note (NOT AN UPDATE, SORRY)

**Hey, everyone.**

 **I know it's been a long time since this story was last updated and placed on hiatus, but I'm afraid this isn't a new chapter. If you're wondering why the fanfic hasn't been progressing since 2018, there are a few reasons why I left you all hanging for so long.**

 **First off, lack of interest. I was part of the DP fanbase ever since Sarah Patterson (now known as DannyPhantomFan1 on Quotev) and The-Lady-Phantom (LadyPhantom98) got me into the show. For a short time, I had some fun doing roleplays with them, as nonsensical as they are.**

 **However, I'm getting off-topic here. Part of the reason why there were no updates was that I slowly lost interest in the show; I do occasionally check out fanart, fanfics, and even episode clips, but that was about it. Some of you might think I've gone nuts for not being hooked on DP like nearly everyone else does, but I have my personal life going on, and I've started getting into different fandoms as of this author's note.**

 **Secondly, I had writer's block. I was having trouble working on the second chapter since I planned to show Danny as a teenager rather than a child back in Chapter 1. I didn't want to place too much filler in there as I believed that some people wanted to get to the real plot sooner than later. Right now, I still haven't made a lot of progress on Chapter 2, so I apologize to those who are following and favoriting this story.**

 **Finally, I was starting on another fanfic.** **For those who knew my old FanFiction account, _DisneyMagicForever_ , I had an old _Sleeping Beauty_ AU fanfic there I did almost a few years back. I'm currently rewriting it on this account due to how rushed and cringeworthy the original was; I felt that there weren't enough moments between Aurora and Phillip, and the rest of the story mostly followed the actual film.**

 **So, if you're a fan of that Disney movie, be sure to stay tuned because the fanfic will be better and have a good chunk of drama in it. ;)**

 **Once again, I apologize for not updating this DP story for over a year. Even if I lost the motivation to continue writing, that doesn't mean I'll ever cancel or delete my fanfics; I would still keep them and try to find ways to make the reading experience more fulfilling for you all. Speaking of which, I might consider rewriting the prologue and first chapter, but I'll leave it up to you if you want me to go for it or not.**

 **All in all, if you have any questions, feel free to PM me; I'll be glad to answer.** **Thank you so much for taking the time to read this author's note;** **I hope you have a pleasant day! :)**

 **~AmityDreams**


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